Pumps suitable for spraying or otherwise delivering liquid from a container when manually actuated by a user are widely used in the fields of cosmetics and household cleaning products. Typically the pump is mounted on the container and communicates with the liquid by means of a dip tube. When actuated by a user, the pump draws liquid from the container through the dip tube and into the pump body; and then impels liquid from the pump body to an outlet.
Various arrangements of pump, outlet and means for user actuation can be used depending on the properties of the liquid to be delivered, desired outlet flow conditions and cost. For example, trigger spray pumps such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,288, are commonly used to dispense household cleaning products such as liquid detergents or polishes. Finger pumps as described in EP 682 568A, are often used to dispense cosmetic products such as hand lotions or perfumes.
However, known pumps typically comprise 10 to 15 components and therefore associated tooling, forming and assembly costs are relatively high; yet often with modest operating characteristics.